If more children are enrolled in school than ever before, why do literacy gaps persist across the globe? Does access automatically translate into meaningful learning? And how should we rethink education systems in light of persistent inequalities in literacy and opportunity?

Daniel A. Wagner is UNESCO Chair in Learning and Literacy and Professor of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. An internationally recognized scholar in global education, his work focuses on literacy, educational development, and the measurement of learning outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. He has advised governments, international organizations, and policy leaders on how to design systems that move beyond access toward actual learning.

His research bridges psychology, international development, and policy, with a particular emphasis on literacy as both a cognitive skill and a social practice.

In this episode, Daniel and I explore what some call the global learning crisis. While school enrollment rates have increased dramatically worldwide, many students complete years of schooling without acquiring foundational literacy skills. Daniel explains why expanding access, though essential, is not sufficient. The deeper challenge lies in ensuring that students are meaningfully learning.

We discuss how literacy functions not just as the ability to decode text, but as a gateway to civic participation, economic mobility, and democratic engagement. Daniel reflects on large-scale international assessments, the complexities of measuring learning across diverse cultural contexts, and the tension between global benchmarks and local realities.

This conversation pushes us to reconsider what success in education truly means. It asks whether systems should be judged by enrollment statistics or by what students can actually do with language, knowledge, and skills. And it challenges policymakers and educators alike to focus not only on schooling for all, but learning for all.